Blog

You know Elle Luna is one of my favorite authors because she wrote this book.

Well, several years ago she started a creative movement called The 100 Day Project. The idea is to choose a creative action and do it for 100 days in an effort to improve your skills.

This project came along just as I was beginning to really explore my MUST and how important being creative and making is for my happiness.

I’ve committed to participating this year, and as I write this, I’m 30 days in.

There are so many creative things that call to me...photography, quilting, memory keeping, and playing with paint. I also love slowing down to stitch things by hand, so I chose to do 100 days of embroidery stitching.

Unlike many other creatives, I didn’t choose it so I’d improve my embroidery skills. For me, it’s about so much more than that, like leaning into having more fun.

Of course, I knew I’d learn something from this project, but I didn’t anticipate learning so much so quickly. After being a quarter of the way finished there are a couple of things that stand out...

Knowing my why has made all the difference in me sticking with it and showing up every day to put a few stitches in my fabric. I know there will be days when I really don’t want to sit down and stitch. Remembering why I’m doing this crazy project in the first place is helping me stay committed to it.

I’ve tried to do this project a couple of times before by taking a photo a day, but I didn’t make it beyond day four or five.

Looking back, I can see I was focused on the end result and overwhelmed. I imagined that they’d need to be completely Instagram worthy photos so I could post them every day as I went along, and I’d gather all of them into a beautiful book at the end of the project.

Clearly, I was worried and focused on the end PRODUCT, not the reason WHY I wanted to take a photo each day. I was clueless as to what I wanted to learn or why I wanted to do it in the first place. Being focused on the wrong thing paralyzed me.

I can see how this shows up again and again in my life. Maybe you can, too.

Maybe you’ve been holding back on creating a new offer for your clients because you’ve been focused on the OUTCOME rather than understanding WHY you want it in the first place. Understanding the why can help you stay motivated when the creating gets tough.

Maybe you launched a new product but your energy around it is fizzling out. That’s happened to me! Being clear about why you want your product out in the world and why someone should buy it will help you maintain your excitement for it.

It’s ok to not know how my project will turn out.

Oh my goodness...how many times have I not started something because I wasn’t sure how it would turn out or I was worried it wouldn’t turn out as perfectly as I imagined it in my mind?

My perfectionism has kept me stuck and paralyzed more times than I care to admit!

That’s sort of the whole point for me in doing this project...to challenge myself to do something with no parameters and no end result in mind.

I have a hard time working without a pattern. In the past, a blank canvas was too much for me to handle. So much so, I couldn’t start. I’d worry, what if I screw it up?

What if I do it wrong?

What if I don’t do it the way everyone else would do it?

But here’s the thing, even if i plan it out in advance, there’s still a good chance any creative project is not going to turn out the way I planned.

Perfection has no place in creative living.

There’s no right or wrong way to be creative, and there’s no right or wrong way to do life. I’m learning it’s all about what works for me and it doesn’t matter if it’s the same or different as what someone else would’ve done.

Maybe you’ve fussed over making sure your project goes exactly as planned. Did that create some stress for you? I’m sure it did! It has for me, for sure.

Maybe you’ve held off on starting a passion project that’s been on your mind for years because you’re stuck in not knowing how you’ll complete it.

You don’t have to know all the steps. Just start!

Part of the beauty of being creative is following the creativity where it leads. So often, the end result is WAY better than we could’ve ever imagined on our own!

Who knows what 100 days of stitching will look like. The end result doesn’t have to be pretty to be meaningful to me. It will represent letting go of perfection, learning to follow my curiosity, and leaning into showing up and doing the work, even when I don’t have a plan.

What would your 100 Day Project entail? Share with me in my Facebook group!

Let's build community!

When you gather a group of women together, magic happens. I believe we are better together. Head over to my FREE Facebook group, Live Your Legacy NOW, where there’s tons of inspiration, support, tips & tricks for creating a life that feels more bold and fulfilling and where you can begin to plan the legacy you want to create.